AUBURN HILLS -- A day after Chauncey Billups played his longest stint in 20 months, Detroit Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said the veteran guard would have some control over monitoring his minutes when the regular season begins next week.

Billups has chosen to play in only two of seven preseason games.

Cheeks said Billups will have the same option to sit out games during particularly challenging regular-season stretches.

"Yeah, for sure," Cheeks said Wednesday when asked if Billups can opt out of certain games. "Yeah, I don't mind. You see, when he plays, we're pretty good. He does a lot of good things out there for us. We could use him out there. So we're going to try to keep him as healthy as we possibly can."

Billups could target respites when the Pistons play four games in five days, or five games in seven days. The Pistons have three of each on the schedule.

Cheeks said he was unsure whether Billups will play in tonight's preseason finale but the 37-year-old guard said last weekend that he would play only once more before Wednesday's opener.

That suggests Billups will sit when the Pistons host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. (Fox Sports Detroit).

Billups went through a full practice one day after playing a key late role in the 99-96 win over the Wizards, whom the Pistons face again in next week's season opener here.

"He did well," Cheeks said. "He was out there, took himself in and out, but he was OK."

PISTONS NOTES

Limited work: Brandon Jennings, who is out after oral surgery for a hairline fracture of the jaw and impacted wisdom tooth, went through some light shooting drills Wednesday. He wore a protective mask. He cited his jaw being wired shut in declining an interview request. The projected starting point guard is expected to miss at least four regular-season games. "He's been a part of everything, with the exception of running," Cheeks said. "So when we've watched film and been on the practice floor, he has been a part of it. So yeah, whenever he gets his situation taken care of, we'll put him in there, see what he's got."

Rotation still a work in progress: Cheeks suggested not to read too much into his rotations thus far, such as Tony Mitchell being first off the bench when the rookie was substituted for Andre Drummond in the first quarter Tuesday. Power forwards Jonas Jerebko and Charlie Villanueva, guard-forward Kyle Singler, and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were among the players Cheeks said could be early substitutes in future games. "There's nothing really locked in stone. I think I have the luxury of different guys at different times," Cheeks said.

Injury update: Rodney Stuckey is scheduled to have his broken thumb reevaluated this week, while Gigi Datome (hamstring) will not play tonight. Stuckey played one preseason game while Datome missed the entire preseason.